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Rebel Wilson in Court as Defamation Trial Over Instagram Posts Opens in Sydney

The case tests whether high‑profile social media claims can cause legal harm without a verified complaint.

Overview

  • Wilson and actress Charlotte MacInnes began a nine‑day hearing Monday before Justice Elizabeth Raper in Australia’s Federal Court, with both expected to give evidence.
  • MacInnes says Wilson’s Instagram posts falsely suggested she privately reported being sexually harassed by producer Amanda Ghost, while Wilson denies defamation and says she relayed a complaint she was told.
  • The dispute centers on a September 2023 bath after a cold Bondi swim that MacInnes says was to warm Ghost while both wore swimmers with a third colleague present, which Wilson’s team says MacInnes later described as making her uncomfortable before changing her account.
  • Lawyers flagged a focus on alleged smear websites Tuesday, with an ex‑PR employee due to testify and texts shown in court about creating a site casting Ghost as a “madam,” claims Wilson rejects as unsupported and irrelevant to whether a complaint was made.
  • MacInnes seeks aggravated damages and an order stopping any repeat of the claims, as the film at the heart of the row, The Deb, finally reached Australian cinemas on April 9 after legal delays and as separate producer lawsuits proceed in NSW and the US.